Sunday 24 June 2018

Country Bites News snippets June 11, 2018 – June 17, 2018

UK & Irish News, UK Chart News, Album & Single Releases, Country News, Music News, TV news, Awards News, Press Releases, Gossip, Birthdays.

UK & IRISH News
For a full listing of 2018 UK Tour dates PLEASE check out our Tour Dates Page

On the BBC Radio 2 Playlist for the week commencing Saturday 16 June 2018
A Playlist:
Carrie Underwood - Cry Pretty added to the "A" Playlist
Kylie Minogoe - Golden added to the "A" Playlist
B Playlist:
Dan + Shay - All To Myself

Emma Jade's brand-new EP 'OLDER NOW' was unsuccessfully crowdfunded using the Pledge platform. 40% of an unknown goal was reached by just 22 pledgers.

Katy Hurt with Somewhere Down In Winnipeg - The Next EP was successfully crowdfunded using the Pledge platform. With 2 days left it had raised 128% of unknown goal by 145 loyal pledgers.

UK CHART NEWS
Official UK Top 100 Singles Chart (Week Ending 21 June 2018)
15 June 2018 - 21 June 2018
Jess Glynne had bragging rights, as her 13th hit, I’ll Be There, advanced 2-1 (37,959sales, including 25,356 from sales-equivalent streams) to deny Clean Bandit’s 12th hit, Solo (feat. Demi Lovato), which closed the gap consistently throughout the week, and leaps 6-2 (37,061 sales).

Official UK Top 100 Albums Chart (Week Ending 21 June 2018)
15 June 2018 - 21 June 2018
Its sales are down again but The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to The Greatest Showman remained far ahead of the pack, topping the chart for the 19th time in 23 weeks, and the fourth week in a row, on consumption of 34,378 units (including 11,030 from sales-equivalent streams). It is the 23rd consecutive week in which it has sold upwards of 20,000 copies and raised its cumulative sales to 878,909.

The Shires with ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE fell 33-54 (1,800 estimated units; 8-week total 32,800; chart run 3-14-32-41-41-32-33-54). By comparison their last album MY UNIVERSE after 8 frames was at No.45 with a 8-week total of 43,000 Chart Run: 3-7-14-27-36-45-43
Kylie Minogue with GOLDEN rose 41-38 (2,200 estimated units) in her 10th week.

Official UK Country Album Top 20 (Week Ending 21 June 2018)
15 June 2018 - 21 June 2018
The Shires with ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE held at #1 (8 weeks; #1 peak)
Neko Case with HELL-ON held at #2 (2 weeks; #2 peak)
Sugarland with BIGGER made a debut at #3
Kacey Musgraves with GOLDEN HOUR held at #4 (11 weeks; #1 peak)
Luke Combs with THIS ONE'S FOR YOU TOO rose 7-5 (2 weeks; #5 peak)
Dierks Bentley with THE MOUNTAIN made a debut at #6
Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore with DOWNEY TO LUBBOCK fell 6-7 (2 weeks; #6 peak)
Willie Nelson with LAST MAN STANDING fell 5-8 (7 weeks; #2 peak)
Gretchen Peters with DANCING WITH THE BEAST fell 3-9 (4 weeks; #2 peak)
Lindi Ortega with LIBERTY fell 8-10 (2 weeks; #8 peak)
Outside the Top 10
John Prine with THE TREE OF FORGIVENESS fell 9-11 (9 weeks; #2 peak)

Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40 (Week Ending 21 June 2018)
15 June 2018 - 21 June 2018
1 1 God's Favourite Customer Father John Misty
2 3 Ruins First Aid Kit [Tagged Alternative]
3 7 From The Fires Greta Van Fleet [Tagged Rock]
4 5 The Prodical Son Ry Cooder [Tagged Rock]
5 4 Be More Kind Frank Turner [Tagged Alternative]
6 23 Tearing At The Seams Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night
7 2 Hell-On Neko Case
8 8 Part of The Light Ray Lamontage
9 14 Nation Of Two Vance Joy
10 15 Nation Of Two Willie Nelson
Outside The Top 10
11 13 A Deeper Understanding War On Drugs
12 11 18 Pure Comedy Father John Misty
14 10 Tracyanne & Danny Tracyanne & Danny [Tagged Alternative]
26 6 Doney To Lubbock Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore
34 NEW Putting On Airs Erin Rae
40 9 Liberty Lindi Ortega

COUNTRY ALBUM & SINGLES RELEASES

(15 June 2018) Steve Moakler - Born Ready (2018 CN Records)
12 Tracks/ Time: 42:38 Amazon UK UK iTunes
Debut: June 15: #2 UK iTunes Country Albums (#266 UK iTunes all-genre)
Steve Moakler Born Ready (CN Records) Moakler’s fifth studio album, the follow-up to 2017’s Steel Town, was produced by Luke Laird. He co-wrote all 12 songs, including the title track and lead single “Born Ready”
(Moakler, Luke Laird, Barry Dean), which was inspired by his partnership with Mack Trucks, and his latest single “Breaking New Ground” (Moakler, Ryan Beaver, Neil Medley).

(15 June 2018) Jason Charles Miller - In the Wasteland (2018 The Century Family)
11 Tracks/Time: 41:35 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com
Debut: June 15: #8 UK iTunes Country Albums (#521 UK iTunes all-genre)

(15 June 2018) Kristy James - Raw (EP; 2018 Kristy James)
6 Tracks/Time: 21:48 Amazon UK - UK iTunes Amazon.com
Debut: June 15: #71 UK iTunes Country Albums

(15 June 2018) The Slocan Ramblers - Queen City Jubilee (SloMusic)
Gritty Toronto bluegrass from a city once known for its industrial pigmeat industry. Four young lions of bluegrass and stringband music with mix of original and traditional songs/tunes.

(15 June 2018) Highway Sisters - Smoke & Mirrors - EP
5 Tracks/ Time: 18:18 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com
Debut: June 15: #68 US iTunes Country Albums (#362 US iTunes all-genre)

(15 June 2018) Pearl -  Heartbreak and Canyon Revelry (Label: Station House Recordings)
15 Tracks/ Time: 49:34 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com
Crossing many genres of music, years of life experiences and emotions, Pearl joined forces with Jim Wilson, longtime bassist for Daniel Lanois, Emmylou Harris, and leader of Motor Sister and Mother Superior, for the project, and once again proves how she is every inch a rock chanteuse who seamlessly moves from vulnerable to guttural in one measure.  

(15 June 2018) Various Artists - Mud Digger 9 (2018 Average Joes Entertainment)
12 Tracks/Time: 40:57 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com
Debut: June 15: #35 US iTunes Country Albums (#174 US iTunes all-genre)

(15 June 2018) JessLee - Strong (2018 Jesslee) 
7 Tracks/Time: 25:18 Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com
Debut: June 15: #74 US iTunes Country Albums (#397 US iTunes all-genre)

(15 June 2018) 2Steel Girls - The Real Thing
11 Tracks UK iTunes
Debut: June 15: #96 US iTunes Country Albums (#508 US iTunes all-genre)

(17 June 2018) Exile – Hits (Big Horse Records)
16 Tracks/ Time: 55:10 Amazon UKAmazon.com

CANADIAN NEWS
(14 June 2014) Nicole Rayy Heads Into Summer With Release Of New Single 'Bad Habit'
She kicked off the New Year by kickin' it with Kissel and receiving a CMAO nomination for Rising Star - now Nicole Rayy is ready to head into summer festival season with the release of her new single 'Bad Habit' available everywhere on June 15. Fans can get an advance listen to the track today on The Reviews Are In.

"I can't wait for everyone to hear 'Bad Habit'," said Rayy. "I think it's a song many of us can relate to. It's all about that one person we are so addicted to that we can't give them up - even if sometimes we should. I worked really hard on this song with my producer, and I think it's our best track yet!"
 Produced by Doug Romanow, this country power ballad is sure to hit home with many listeners. Between the driving chorus, honest lyrics, and Rayy's powerhouse vocals, 'Bad Habit' is the perfect summertime anthem for the hopeless romantic in us all.
 With her previous smash single 'Fireproof,' Rayy put herself on the map as a staple in Canadian country. Gaining traction on country radio across the nation, Rayy has built a strong foundation of fans both across Canada and in the US, tracking over 200K Spotify streams.
 No stranger to the national festival circuit, Rayy will be hitting the road once again this summer with shows across Canada, including Dauphin Countryfest and Trackside Music Festival.

(15 June 2018) Rising Country Star Kendra Kay Releases New Single  
Rising country star Kendra Kay has gathered a star-studded musical team and will release the lead single 'Buy Me A Drink' from her upcoming EP MORE TO ME. The EP will feature additional writing credits by Meghan Patrick, Patricia Conroy and Phil Barton.
Juno nominee Murray Pulver and CCMA Producer of the Year Bart McKay skillfully produce the track. It features a soaring chorus that is sure to get stuck in your head after the first listen and is filled with a traditional country music sensibility but tells a 'girl meets boy' story that offers a millennial twist and sound on the search for love. "With my new music, I've worked hard to discover who I am as a contemporary artist who loves traditional country music, I'm so proud that I've gotten the support of so many people I respect in the music industry on this project" says Kay.


With growing industry accolades including being a Manitoba Country Music Association Female Artist of the Year winner, Kay shows the strength and control of her powerhouse vocals that she has come to be known for on this release. 

At only 21 years old, her sound has significantly matured as she has found her own sound and style in a crowded music industry.  She's steadily earned a reputation as an incredible live performer and has played the Boots & Hearts pre-party, Canadian Music Week, Canadian Country Music Week, Dauphin CountryFest, Roger's Hometown Hockey Festival, and many others. Gaining the support of many industry insiders, she has opened for artists such as Jess Moskaluke, Aaron Pritchett, and Doc Walker.

NEWS
(12 June 2018) Exhibit Hey: The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will spotlight the career of Capitol's Little Big Town in the exhibit Little Big Town: The Power Of Four, opening June 29. Artifacts include neon signs used on the PAIN KILLER album cover, Karen Fairchild’s wedding dress, and costumes lined with LED lighting from the 2014 CMA Awards. On June 26 the group will be interviewed in the museum's CMA Theater

(13 June 2018) Capitol Nashville's Carrie Underwood has been tapped to headline Spotify's new concert series, "Hot Country Live," in support of the streaming platform's "Hot Country" playlist. Kicking off on Wednesday, July 4th at The Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York City, the event will also feature a performance by Warner Bros./WAR's Dan + Shay. Additional acts will be announced soon. The series will also host more shows nationwide.

(17 June 2018) Scotty McCreery married longtime love Gabi Dugal in a beautiful ceremony on Saturday (June 16). People confirmed that the couple wed in their native North Carolina in front of 200 family and friends.
Dugal wore a gown by Morilee for a ceremony that was officiated by McCreery's childhood pastor and during which the couple exchanged vows they had written.

AWARDS
(12 June 2018) Lauren Alaina, Jon Pardi To Host '12th Annual ACM Honors'
19/Interscope/Mercury Nashville's Lauren Alaina and CAPITOL NASHVILLE's Jon Pardi have been tapped to host the Academy Of Country Music (ACM)'s "12th Annual ACM Honors" set for Wednesday, August 22nd at NASHVILLE's RYMAN AUDITORIUM.

TV
(12 June 2018) Shania Twain Appears On 'The Late Late Show With James Corden'
MERCURY NASHVILLE's Shania Twain appeared on Monday night's (June 11) edition of CBS-TV's "The Late Late Show With JAMES CORDEN" to perform "Now" album cut, "Life's About To Get Good."  Watch it >> here

MUSIC NEWS
(12 June 2018) Sheryl Crow: "This might be my last album..."
Sheryl called BBC Radio 2's Chris Evans Breakfast Show live from New York City with an update on her star-studded new music.

(13 June 2018) 24,000 Tracks Uploaded To Music Streamers Every 24 Hours
20,000 to 24,000 tracks are uploaded to Spotify, Apple Music, Napster and other streaming music service every 24 hours. That's 1 million tracks every 6 weeks.  Let's that number sink in for a moment and imagine how hard it is to break through that much clutter.

INTERVIEWS
(13 June 2018) LYRIC interviews: British Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year Jade Helliwell On Songwriting & “Excellent” new EP INFATUATION by JAMES DAYKIN

COUNTRY GOSSIP
(13 June 2018) Lawsuit Alleges Martina McBride Mistreated Interns, The couple are denying the allegations.
Martina McBride and her husband, celebrated recording engineer John McBride, are being sued over the way they allegedly treated unpaid interns who worked for their Nashville recording complex, Blackbird Studios.
Blackbird is one of the top recording studios in Nashville, serving as a recording home to a slate of multi-genre clients that includes Alabama, Ed Sheeran, the White Stripes and Taylor Swift, among others. According to Nashville's Tennessean newspaper, former Blackbird Studios Operations Manager Richard Hanson, who worked at the studio for five years, has filed a lawsuit against the couple, claiming that they have violated the law by mistreating unpaid interns who worked at Blackbird over the years. 

Hanson's filing alleges that Martina and John McBride subjected their unpaid interns to unfair labor practices that included tearing down studio equipment, picking up groceries and takeout food and cleaning bathrooms. According to the Tennessean, one intern was even dispatched to the McBrides' home with a gun to check for a possible intruder, even though that intern had no experience with firearms.
According to his suit, the McBrides also yelled at interns for failing to perform the personal errands and duties that were not related to their job duties at the recording studio.
Hanson's complaint says the McBrides ignored him when he first voiced his concerns about their treatment of unpaid interns. When he then filed an official complaint with the state, he claims John McBride fired him an hour after he informed the couple, he claims. He is suing for $1 million, claiming that the McBrides violated the Fair Labor Standards Act in their treatment of unpaid interns.

(15 June 2018) Rory Feek’s Faith Was Challenged by Daughter’s Coming Out
Rory Feek is practically the poster boy for rock-solid Christian faith, but the singer-songwriter admits that he was forced to reexamine his beliefs after his daughter, Hopie, came out to him in 2016.



The former Joey + Rory singer tells CBS Sunday Morning that just days after his wife and musical partner Joey died of cancer at age 40 on March 4, 2016, he could tell that his daughter had something on her mind that she wanted to share.
“I said, ‘Just tell me, Hopie,’” Feek recounted. “And she went on to tell me that her friend Wendy was more than her friend, that Wendy and her had been dating for almost a year. And that she was in love.”
Feek makes no secret of his deeply conservative Christian beliefs, and he admits that he was stunned by the revelation. His daughter had been hesitant to share her truth because she feared he would judge her, and "even more than that, she’s asking me, ‘Are you still going to love me?’" he shares.

PHOTO
(11 June 2018) Inaugural Cracker Barrel Country Legend Award Presented To Randy Travis During Final Night At The Country Roads Stage At 2018 Cma Music Festival
Cale Dodds, Morgan Evans, Tegan Marie, Michael Ray, and Cole Swindell brought things to an exciting end as they closed out night three at the Cracker Barrel Country Roads Stage at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater.
Saturday night was made even more memorable by the presentation of the inaugural Cracker Barrel Country Legend Award to the one-and-only Randy Travis, an honor given to country musicians with over 30 years in the business including past partnerships with Cracker Barrel’s music program.




















L to R: Michael Ray, Randy Travis and Julie Ulmer, Cracker Barrel Sr. Marketing Manager | Images for Gratis Use – Credit: Tori Leggett for Cracker Barrel

(13 June 2018) Kacey Musgraves Celebrates In Nashville
 Follow Your Arrow One Direction: MCA's Kacey Musgraves receives a platinum certification plaque for her debut album SAME TRAILER DIFFERENT PARK after playing Nashville's Bridgestone Arena as part of Harry Styles: Live on Tour.
Pictured (l-r) are UMG/Nashville's Brian Wright, Sandbox Entertainment's Sam Borenstein, UMGN's Stephanie Wright, Musgraves, Sandbox Entertainment's Jason Owen and UMGN's Mike Harris.

First released on MARCH 19, 2013 by Mercury Nashville the album was certified Platinum (1 million units (units sold + streamed + shipped to retailers)) on April 4, 2018. It was previously certified GOLD on July 17, 2014. The album won Best Country Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in January 2014. It landed the No.1 position on the Billboard Country Chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart with 43,496 copies sold. By the chart dated November 23, 2013 it had sold 246K copies and eventually scanned GOLD (500,600 total.) at retail (chart week April 11, 2015). As of July 2015 the album had sold 519,000 copies in the US.

BIRTHDAYS
Birthdays in the week ahead
June 18: Marty Haggard (1958), Blake Shelton (1976) 
June 19: the late Lester Flatt (June 19, 1914; died May 11, 1979 (aged 64)), Doug Stone (1956)
June 20: Anne Murray (1945), the late Chet Atkins (June 20, 1924; died June 30, 2001 (aged 77)), Chuck Wicks (1979)
June 21: Allison Moorer (1972), Kathy Mattea (1959)
June 22: Kris Kristofferson (1936), the late Roy Drusky (June 22, 1930; died Sept 23, 2004 (aged 74))
June 23: Pake McEntire (1953), the late June Carter (June 23, 1929; died May 15, 2003 (aged 73)), Katie Armiger (1991) 
June 24: Steuart Smith (1952) 

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